Shaban, Omar (2025): Gulf States and the Palestinian Cause: Geopolitical Shifts across the Two U.S. Presidencies
This policy brief examines how the Gaza war since October 7, 2023, has fundamentally transformed Gulf states’ engagement with the Palestinian cause from symbolic to strategic involvement. The conflict has repositioned Palestine as both a humanitarian crisis and a geopolitical tool that is reshaping Middle Eastern alliances and influencing Gulf-U.S. relations under different presidential approaches. The war has catalyzed major diplomatic shifts, with countries like Spain, Norway, and Ireland formally recognizing Palestine, while Saudi Arabia has responded by forming an international coalition for a two-state solution and co-chairing UN efforts with France. This surge in Gulf advocacy occurs alongside a broader recalibration of U.S. relations under the Biden and Trump presidencies, with the war’s humanitarian toll amplifying Arab public pressure and expanding Gulf influence in U.S.-Palestinian dynamics.
EMBRACE Policy Brief 06